The last international break of the season will, by the time you read this, have come to an end.
In essence, the next month represents the wind up that takes place in the penultimate lap of a long distance race. It is the jockeying for good position that takes place before that last, desperate, grab for the line.
Actually, by this time next month, the race could well be run and won.
There are, for Arsenal at least, 18 Premier League points to play for.
With four home games coming in this run as well as trips to West Ham and Sunderland, you’d like to think that Arsenal would be looking April as a 100% month. That would be a tough ask in any Premier League month though. Never mind our home form being in the toilet whilst West Ham seem determined to give the famous Boleyn Ground a proper send off before heading off to Stratford.
Altogether now,
‘Knees up, muvver Brown…’
Anyone…? Anyone…? No? Fair enough.
Can’t blame you really.
As we all know and I’ve alluded to above, there doesn’t feel like much time or space for a good old knees up. Not for us Arsenal fans.
A season which promised so much at the turn of the year has collapsed in on itself, to the point where even 18 points out of 18 in the next month would realistically give us only a good chance of overhauling Spurs.
We would still, in all probability, be left looking up at Leicester City.
At this point, I should say that I had originally written around another 500 words following the paragraph above. However, apart from what I consider to be a few choice turns of phrase, I think the content was largely me moaning.
And who needs any more of that?
I suppose the focus really should be on the team finishing the season as best they can. We all know that the mountain they have to climb is so high that they are unlikely to do, especially with with a couple of upstarts waiting near the top to throw us of it, however…
I think, with the benefit of a couple of weeks to pause and reflect, it’s important that there is as positive an atmosphere around the team as possible.
I’m not telling anyone who still spends their hard earned cash at the Emirates how to behave. I am saying, and not for the first time, that if you are spending that money, you might as well go and try and enjoy yourself.
Be encouraging, rather than moaning whenever someone misplaces a pass or Giroud lashes one into the stands.
For my part, as part of the Arsenal blogging community, I guess it means parking whatever reservations I have about the direction our club seems to be headed in. At least, until the end of the season.
I mean, how many articles does anyone want to read essentially saying the same thing? Particularly when, despite thousands and thousands of words written, not just here, but on almost any Arsenal website (except probably Untold Arsenal) articulating the very same ‘The King is Dead’ sentiment, the King is still very much alive and kicking and planning on seeing out his contract.
And yes, he is very definitely wearing his new clothes, thank you very much for asking.
I know the editor of the Gooner fanzine, one of the places where I cut my writing teeth (yes, you sort of have them to thank/ blame) has long been of the opinion that the only way Arsène is leaving the club is in a box.
That opinion seemed a little fanciful when he first voiced it a few years ago, however the deeper into the Wenger reign we get, I’m not so sure now. Particularly with rumours abounding of a new three year deal for Emperor Wenger.
I know such a consideration may seem morbid, but I think it does hit home on a very important point for all the detractors and agitators out there: Arsène and Arsène alone will decide when it’s time to say goodbye.
The bottom line is, he keeps Arsenal in the top four – I am genuinely worried about our prospects this year, such has been our form, but I suspect he will prevail again.
He does so without spending vast amounts of money and, up until the Everton game, had shielded Stan Kroenke from the wrath of supporters. In typically Arsenal fashion, that display of anger came after what was probably Arsenal’s most convincing display this year.
What possible reason could the Arsenal board have for sacking a man they are so in thrall to that they happily pay him £8m a year despite any number of humiliations we have suffered over the last few years?
Here’s a thought: the reason they pay him could precisely be that they know so very little about football, whilst he knows so very much. Even if he sometimes decides not to show it.
The only possible reason I can think of for sacking Le Boss would be if fans really began to hit Stan Kroenke where it really hurts him: in his pocket.
That means staying away from games. Are you prepared to do that?
Call Kroenke all the names you want to, you’re still giving him his money, which seems to be the main point of his involvement with Arsenal. So I don’t think he’s going to be that bothered about a few hundred people telling him to do one (or words to that effect), is he really?
That’s my rhetorical question for this article. Now you’ve answered it, assuming that you will be taking your seat on Saturday afternoon, the only thing to do is to get behind the team for what’s left of this season.
Yes, Leicester are only four wins and one draw from ensuring that we can’t win the league title for another year, but who knows what might happen in the 22 matches that are left for Arsenal, Leicester and… well, that lot?
Cazorla’s back soon- huzzah! So is Cech! Huzzah twice!
Yeah, okay, it’s a forlorn hope, I know that.
But, for now, it is a hope and it’s all that we’ve got left.
Now, where’s my Prozac?